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One of the things I love about working at Source Centre ~ sharing fruit with friends. Since attending Dr. Leo’s Discover Raw Food workshop, I’ve been reading more on the raw food way of eating and incorporating a lot more of it in my diet, especially fruit. November and December is a great time for persimmons which, up until a few weeks ago, I had never tried. Now, I can’t get enough… Because it can be intimidating trying new things, I thought I would share some of my experiences with persimmons. There tend to be 2 different persimmons commonly found in the markets. One is the Hachiya variety which is long and rather heart-shaped (right in the picture). The other is the squat, tomato-resembling Fuyu variety(left). I first purchased a couple of Hachiyas and waited a few days until one was rather soft, thinking it was ready to go. I peeled and ate it. Rookie mistake! If you unknowingly do the same thing I did, you may end up thinking this furry tongued experience is all there is to a persimmon. Not true – this variety is particularly astringent and takes a good deal of time to ripen. In fact, I’m told I may be able to enjoy this remaining beauty come the New Year. (It’s going to be a happy 2012!) Our squat friend, the Fuyu variety, is not nearly as astringent and can be enjoyed even while quite firm. Fortunately, I didn’t give up on persimmons and have been enjoying this variety tremendously. I find them to be a bit of a cross between a peach and a mango, with a beautiful orange flesh speckled with brown dots – as though there is cinnamon or some other wonderful fragrant spice laced throughout. I highly encourage you to try persimmons this year on their own or in the smoothie below as recommended by Dr. Sue. Persimmon Smoothie 3 persimmons 1 young thai coconut Take the seeds out of the persimmons and combine with the flesh and the milk of the young coconut- blend on high for 3 minutes. This is a great staple full of healthy natural fats, sugars and...

Posted by Leo Quan on Oct 17, 2011 in Featured, Health | Comments Off on Hydration & Water Bottles the Healthy Way

~ image by bertvthul ~ Years ago, I thought I was onto something. I was getting more active, drinking more water, and making other healthy lifestyle choices. It seemed like a great idea to keep my water in a hard plastic bottle. Shatterproof, lightweight, and big in capacity, it seemed perfect for carrying around for work, exercise, and travel. Soon, the evidence started surfacing that the hard plastics used in bottles (and many other items) could mimic our sex-hormones and ultimately cause problems with our health and wellness. BPA, the main chemical used to manufacture those ever-popular polycarbonate containers, and phthalates, a very common compound used to give vinyl and other plastics flexibility and a soft feel, were found to be the major culprits. I was sad to waste anything but when I saw the news, all I could do was pitch my plastic bottle into the garbage. And to the heavy and fragile mason jars I went! To my surprise, little time had passed before BPA-free bottles started showing up at my local store. Confidence restored, I thought I had found water bottle nirvana once again. Think again. As the saying goes: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. In March 2011, researchers published a study (download link to study) in Environmental Health Perspectives that showed most hard plastics leach estrogen-mimicking compounds under typical day-to-day conditions. Some plastics labeled BPA-Free (sorry Vitamix) were even more problematic than the BPA plastics they replaced. What’s the bottom line? Enjoy drinking your water. It’s refreshing, a vital nutrient to our health, and tastes great. BONUS: The only thing more enjoyable than drinking fresh clean water is to eat it! It’s naturally sweetened, chock-full of a wide spectrum of nutrients, and filtered at the cellular-level. Yes, it’s fruit. Learn more about the wonders of fruit at my FREE workshop this Tuesday, October 18, 6:30pm (click for event info) Avoid plastic containers. BPA-free doesn’t mean hormone-free. Use glass containers wherever possible. Only glass containers are likely to be hormone-free. What are people saying about BPA and...

On a recent sunshine break away from Toronto, I had the chance to visit the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado. I went to attend a Network Spinal Analysis (NSA) intensive seminar and was encompassed by the brilliant sunshine and beautiful mountain view. I was also engulfed in new information on reorganizational healing. The energy of the doctors attending was empowering. New and experienced doctors alike were transformed by the founder of NSA care, Dr. Donny Epstein. I was pleased to be in the presence of such amazing healing energy and to be amidst the raw nature of the mountains. During the four day seminar we discovered, transformed and were awakened to the extraordinary possibilities that life can be. Thoughts, feelings, and behaviours were examined and powerful new strategies on healing were presented. I am happy to be able to integrate new information into my practice. After letting all the knowledge sink in post-seminar, we were lucky enough to have some time to head into Rocky Mountain National Park which was just a short drive away. We could view the mountain peaks from a distance as we travelled along the winding roads. Finally after turning a curve, we saw the majestic snow-capped rockies and were right in the midst of them. Wow! We were in awe! The greatness of being immersed right in the heart of nature is a wonderful feeling. The peaks were so bright white and the evergreen trees so strong and sturdy. The sun was radiant and warm. We even saw a moose just grazing a little distance from the road. What a delight! Needless to say, we had a lovely time taking in the pure nature surrounding us. I just wanted to share this experience because it was truly life-changing for me and the way I practice the healing art and science of chiropractic. I feel quite energized about helping people notice everyday blessings and taking health and healing to whole new levels. I hope that this post has inspired you to reach higher peaks. Make 2013 your year to transform, naturally and majestically. Yours in health, Dr. Anita Rajan Image courtesy of: [Teddy Bear Picnic] http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Landscapes_g114-Snow_Covered_Mountain_Peaks_p91781.html...

(Image: ‘Fresh Salad’ by rakratchada torsap / FreeDigitalPhotos.net) My life’s sometimes a roller coaster with regards to maintaining good eating habits. It’s easy to get caught up in the challenges and difficulties in eating well all the time. Really though, the creative opportunities are abundant and all around! Take salad days, for instance, an easy and enjoyable way I’ve found to get my raw veggie fix for the day. The ingredients are as follows: find one (or more) participating co-worker(s) and choose the salad day of the week. On that day, each person brings in a couple of items to toss into the communal salad. Take turns assembling or do it together. The result: a delicious and always unique creation. What I have discovered in doing this: – Lunch is always huge, delicious, and cheap – The salad is always different, allowing for variety & satisfaction – It’s really easy to grab a few items to bring in the morning than to have a prepared lunch to take – I am encouraged to eat better the other days – I’m held accountable to eating well because someone else is counting on me for their lunch too – It’s a lot of fun and there is a lot of camaraderie in doing this with other people – I get new ideas for different salads – It’s contagious – other people want to join in or create their own salad day alliances How easy is it? The options are endless! I usually bring what I have in the fridge or interesting leftovers. 4 items or so apiece works nicely. Some handy ingredients, beyond the typical lettuce, mixed greens, spinach, cukes, tomatoes, could be (and have been): – Leftover roasted/grilled vegetables – Can of beans – I like chickpeas, romano, black or a combination – Goat’s or any other kind of cheese – Nuts & seeds – hemp hearts? Sunflower seeds? Tasty! – Sprouts – many possibilities here: radish, alfalfa, broccoli, mung bean, etc. – Grilled tempeh or tofu cubes – Olives – Avocado – Hard-boiled egg (or other animal protein, if you are so inclined) – Cooked quinoa or other grain The possibilities are many and a lot of fun. We’ve had some odd salad combinations here but they were all great. It’s usually easy enough to keep a bottle of lovely olive oil (unrefined, cold-pressed please) or sesame and balsamic (or apple cider) vinegar & salt & pepper. You could easily keep a bottle of ready-made salad dressing around but playing with your own concoction is much tastier. I really enjoy adding a tasty fat to my salad. Avocado and lemon juice provide a really nice combination. Or try my new favourite: tahini dressing! Mix tahini, fresh lemon juice, salt & pepper, a minced clove of garlic and a dash of sweetener (I like agave or maple syrup). Taste and adjust as to desired consistency and taste. If it’s too thick add water and adjust seasonings, if needed. This can keep well in the fridge for several days. See – you can too make friends with...

How Our Bodies Work The body is as much energy as it is matter. In fact, the nervous system can be seen as an electrical wiring system that moves this energy around the body – allowing the brain to send messages and direct all our bodily functions. With a healthy nervous system the body is resilient, flexible and free to heal itself naturally. But we often store tension in our bodies. We develop habits, postures and routines that work against our nervous system. Every accident, injury or emotional strain is stored as stress somewhere in our body, eventually blocking the free flow of information from the brain which is trying to heal us. Over time, our nervous system becomes oblivious – overloaded with stress – critical nerve signals are confused – and natural healing is disrupted. The result is a decrease in body performance – illness and disease are encouraged to spread – and simple enjoyment of life disappears. How NSA Works Through a sequence of light touches where the spinal cord attaches to your spine, NSA draws your attention back to your nervous system – enabling a new awareness of deep-seated tension patterns and bound-up energy residing in your body. In conscious co-ordination with the practitioner, these gentle contacts encourage you to spontaneously stretch, breathe and move in ways that subtly release tension throughout your system. Over time, you teach your nervous system to remember what it was like to heal itself. In this critical way, it is not the practitioner who provides the healing – it is you – actively participating in returning your own body to its natural, harmonious state, with guidance. The Benefits of NSA Practice members report significant improvements in overall quality of life. Benefits include; a greater awareness of your body, improved movement and flexibility, improved resilience to stress of all kinds, the ability to breathe more deeply and easily, better sleep, fewer illnesses, less pain and discomfort, increased energy, a sense of well-being and peacefulness, and a desire to make healthier choices in everyday life. Can’t view this video? Click here. Discover Network Spinal Analysis in person at our workshops...